Doll crawling mechanism



April 11, 1961 R. GARDEL EI'AL 2,

DOLL CRAWLING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 I VEILTBRS This; BY WW lam/2M1 ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 R. GARDEL EI'AL 2,978,834

DOLL CRAWLING MECHANISM Filed April 21. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1* ATTORNEYS I DOLL CRAWLING MECHANISM Robert Gardel, 11 Riverside Drive, New York 23, N.Y.,

and Arthur Rogovin, 32-25 Mott Ave., Far Rockaway, N .Y.

Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 729,581 4 Claims. 01. 46 -149).

This invention relates to adoll crawling mechanism,

and particularly to such a mechanism in which the movements of a dolls limbs are so coordinated that the movement of any one or two limbs causes predeterminedv corresponding movement of the otherthree or two limbs. An object of the invention is to provide armmoving mechanism coupled to leg moving (walking) mechanism so that reciprocating movements of the legs, as in walking or crawling, will cause simultaneous movements of the arms, either swinging or crawling.

Another object is to provide such mechanism with manual operating means for either walking or crawling.

A further object of the invention is to provide such mechanism of a strong and simple character, having a Fig. 2 represents a side elevation, with the doll body and limbs outlined byhroken lines, of a doll containing a form of mechanism designed to make the limbs move in lateral pairs (pacing) instead of in diagonal pairs (trotting) as in copending continuation-in-part application SerialNo. 814,814 filed May 21, 1959;

in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 represents a detail longitudinal section on the line IVIV of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 represents a detail longitudinal section on the line V-V of Fig. 3; a i i Fig. 6 represents a side elevation, with parts broken away and parts in section, viewed from the direction of the line VI-VI in Fig-.' 7, showing a further modified Fig. 3 represents a front view of the mechanism shown 2,978,834 Patented Apm 11, 1961 by having its body held and advanced with a slight rocking movement to cause first one knee (or hand) and then the otherknee (or hand) to engage most strongly. with the supporting surface. With the form shown in Figs. 1 to -5 (pacing), the knee and hand on one side can both engage the surface while the knee and hand on the other side are advancing, i.e., nothing more is needed than rocking and advancing. And with the modification of Figs. 6 to 9 the limbs are caused to move by the lateral squeezing of the body rather than by engagement with the supporting surface.

While the crawling mechanism may include, as part of the combination, various specific types of walking.

mechanism, that shown herein is of the type covered by Gardel and Rogovin Patent No. 2,736,135, issued February 28, 1956, with reference particularly to Figs. S and 9 thereof. For convenience and uniformity in description,

form ofmechanism, manuallyoperable by means of a reciprocating bar;

Fig. 7 representsa front view, withthe doll body front wall removed, of the mechanism shown in Fig.6, the operating bar being inits pressed-imposition;

Fig. 8 represents a transverse section on the line VlII-Vlll.of Fig. 7, the operating bar being shown in fullilines inits released position and. in broken lines in its pressed-in position, and i Fig. 9 represents adetail perspective :view of the operating bar itself. t f

Referring tothe drawings, it will bundersttiod that the mechanism shown herein is not automatic, and that a doll is made to execute the crawling or creepingmotion (after the limbs have been adjusted to suitable positions) the orientation of the mechanism will be considered to correspond to the erect (walking) position of the doll unless otherwise noted.

The mechanism comprises a vertical plate 1 engaged at its top with a horizontal plate 2; said plates having (particularly in vinyl body dolls) outlines corresponding substantially to the desired internal shape and size of the body from the waist down. The plate 2 is fixed to the body wall at suitablepoints as indicated by the provision of eyelets 3, 3, to receive rivets (not shown) and the upper inner part of the plate it may be cut out and bent to form the reinforcing brackets ll', 1' which. hold the plates ,1 and2quite rigidly in perpendicular planes.

In addition to the plates 1, 2, which support the walk ing mechanism per se, there is provided also an upwardly projecting frame member 4 of approximately T-shape having forwardly bent triangular braces 3, 4- at its base secured to the plate 2, having its outer ends bent forward at right angles and perforated to form arm support bearings, 29, 29.

Leg mounting members 9, 9 (similar to the members 28 in the patent cited above) are pivotally mounted on the lower part of the plate 1 by a rivet ll) or the like, for rocking motion about a horizontal axis. the flat vertical lower ends of the members 9, 9 which rest against the plate 1, each said member has an out-- wardly slanted part 9', 9', above which the memb ers terminate in narrow vertically extending pins 11, 11, projecting through slots in the plate 2. Each leg is secured to itsmember 9 by means of a mounting button 13 through which passes a post 14 projecting perpendicularly from the slanting part 9' and having a spring 15 bearing against the head of the post and the button, to=

urge the latter into engagement with the part9. The

straightened out for standing and walking.

The walking mechanism is completedby the provision of a rocker 17,,fixed on the driving rod 25 and having radial .slots designed to receive the pins 11, 11. The

rod. 25 is journalled at one end in the plate. 2. and at the;other end in the turned-up lug 35 in whichit extends to a point above the arm axis, where it bears at rocker 1;

26' adapted to engage and actuate the upwardly projecting ends of the cranks 27, 27, the outer ends of which are" rockably mounted on a horizontal axle 28 journaled in Adjacent the upturned lugs 29, 29. The arm mounting buttons 21, 21 are similar to those for the legs in that they each contain a spring bearing outwardly against a washer 22 and urging the base 300i the button into engagement with the corresponding crank '27, and each said base 30 having a projection adapted to engage a slot 31 in the crank 27. A comparable projection on the base of the leg mountingbutton is shown at 32 in Fig. 2. In the operation of this mechanism the limbs move in lateral pairs, both right limbs going in the same direction at the same time and both left limbs doing likewise. Thus in crawling,- the left hand and knee can both be pressed firmly against the supporting surface while the body is moved forward and theright hand and knee swing to their foremost position, then the doll is rocked to-bring the right limbs down while the .left ones move forward, and so on. V

The rod 25 is offset as shown at 25' in order to pass the axle 28 while keeping the axis of rotation of the rocker 26 in the plane of said axle. The upper end 33 of the frame is shown here as being made from a separate piece of metal firmly fixed on the main frame 34tas shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for instance, this arrangement being convenient because some doll makers wish a neck ring structure of the type shown while other might wish to have other forms of neck and head supports, while retaining all the rest of the crawling mechanism. In the present form it is convenient to journal the upper end of the rod 25 in a 111g 35 stamped and turned up from the part 33, the opening thus formed being useful inconnecting the parts 33 and 34.

Some children, particularly small ones, are apt to experience difiiculty inoperating crawling dolls by the normal rocking methods applicable to the structure of Figs. 2 to 5. This difliculty is overcome by the addition of features shown in Figs. 6- to 9 in which the crawling (and walking) mechanism is basically the same as that of Figs. 2. to 5. The driving rod 36, however, is provided with an offset crank portion 36', about at the middle of the dolls body. An operating bar37 is slidably supported in alined openings through the parts 38, 39 of a bracket fixed to the main frame 40, one end of said bar being in engagement with the crank portion 36 (which passes through the opening 37, for instance) and the other end being provided with a pusher 41 in the form of a button (or even a bent-over end of the bar itself) to constitute a smooth.land of substantial area adapted to bear against the inner surface of the doll body (e.g., between the waist and armpit) when the bar 37 is at its limit of travel in that direction. :A compression spring 42, preferably designedto'exert als'ubstantially constant force throughout itsrange of operatiombears against a bracket ble by the grip of a small child. Since one end of the bar 37 engages the crank portion 36 it may be possible to omit the part 38 (or 39) in small dolls; otherwise the parts 38, 39 serve not only as guides and supports for the bar 37 but also limit its endwise motion. Itwill be evident that other types of springs could be used and that a spring or springs might be connected to the moving parts at one or more other points in the system; since the linkage is completely reversible the resilient force may be applied at any convenient point with substantially the same effect. Likewise the guiding openings in the parts 38, 39, or either of them, can be replaced by one a or more guide links between the bar 37 and the frame,

- in, the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

. What we claim is:

-1. A doll crawling mechanism comprising, a rigid 7 frame having a horizontal part shaped to fit within a doll body at approximately the waist line, a vertical part fixed to the horizontal part and extending downwardly therefrom and an upper part fixed to the horizontal part and extending upwardly at least to approximately shoulder height, leg mounting members attached to the lower 43 fixed't o the-main .frame adjacent the inner suface of the doll body in an area diametrically opposite the area contacted by the pusher 41. and engages the crank end of the bar37', urging said bar intthe direction to put and backward movement of the dolls limbs during crawling or walking. 7

Inoperation, the body. of the-doll need only be grasped vertical part for oscillation about a horizontal axis, pins connected to said members and projecting upward through slots in the horizontal frame part, arm mounting members attached to the upper frame part for oscillating movement about a fixed horizontal axis, cranks connected,

to said arm mounting members and projecting away from said axis, a driving rod having its ends journalled in "said frame, a first rocker. fixed on said driving rodadjacent its lower end and provided with apertures to receive'the said pins and a second rocker fixed on said driving rod 1 adjacent its upper end and provided with apertures to,

receive the said cranks, said first rocker being above the axis of rotation of the leg mounting members andsaid second rocker being above the axis of rotation of the arm mounting members. i

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the driving rod is provided with a crank portion, and which includes means operable by pressure on the doll body for moving-said'crank to oscillate the driving rod.

3. A mechanism according toclaim 2 in which said last named means comprises an operating-bar engaging the crank and having anendmovable to a pointadjace'nt the inner wall of the doll body, means for guiding said point. -4. A mechanism according to claim 2;,in which said last named means comprises an operating 'bar engaging the crank, means for guiding said bar for substantially :rectilinear reciprocating movement in the direction of its and squeezed laterally-and.intermittentlyin orderto cause the driving rod to rotate backandforthand thus 5 make the limbs execute theircrawling or walking mo tions. The drivingrodis rotated in one direction by positive manual, pressure pushing the. bar 37 againstthe force of the spring 42, and is rotated the same distance in the opposite direction when the manual pressure is released; permitting the spring to expand and return the parts to their original position.

The spring should be strong enough to operate promptly and reliably while still being" soft enou'gh to be compressiwall of the doll body.

1' -ReferencesCitedin-the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS" r 1,859,175 .schaeaer' May.l7,-1932 1,927,558 Sumisky j Sept. 1 9,.1933 2,761,243 Baggott ,Sep ..4, 19 56 FOREIGN PATENTS seam 

